A novel 2D vascular network in cementitious materials

An experimental study is presented on a novel 2D vascular network in samples of cementitious materials. This network, described in the present contribution, is formed during the casting process using heat shrink tubing or polyurethane tubing, which is removed after setting to leave permanent channels with no additional materials left in-situ. This paper presents results from a laboratory investigation in which the impact of channel size, length and arrangement, along with supply pressure, different types of healing agents, as well as different bespoke connection joints is assessed. The focus is to maintain a multi-use network that can be re-used over the lifetime of a structure, with the primary aim being to enhance and enable multi-scale healing in cementitious materials